Lee Grantham's Marathon Tempo

Workout - Lee Grantham's Marathon Tempo

• 12min @ 6'15''/km
• 5 lots of:
  • 10min @ 5'30''/km
  • 2min 30s rest
• 12min @ 6'15''/km

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Here’s a breakdown of Inside My Weekly Training Program: Key Sessions, Cycling, and Strength Work from Lee Grantham—a video that covers a lot of ground. We’ve extracted the essentials so you can test this framework yourself. Don’t miss the full video for extra context on how each component works together.

Key Points:

• Two pillars anchor your week: a Wednesday speed session and a Sunday long run. Your recovery runs, easier paces, strength work, and bike sessions all support these two key efforts.
• Mid-week speed work: five 10-minute repeats (or ten 5-minute, up to seven 10-minute for ultrarunners) at marathon/ultra goal pace or close to it.
• Thursday is a rest day; feel free to add light core work if you’d like, but it’s entirely optional.
• Friday: a genuinely easy recovery jog (nearly walking speed) to enable your body’s adaptation.
• Saturday: an easy 40–50 minute run at conversational pace, with stretching when you need it.
• Sunday long run: either 40–50 km easy, or a 25 km route that mixes efforts (for example: 5 km @ 4:00 /km, 15 km @ 3:20 /km, 5 km @ 4:00 /km). Adjust the total distance and paces based on your climate and race target.
• Monday & Tuesday: recovery-paced runs (40–50 min) followed by strides (8–10 × 80 m at the end).
• Strength: hit the gym Monday night for lower-body work (deadlifts, lunges, glute activation, hamstring training, calf work) and core; drop your leg sessions 4–6 weeks out from race day.
• Cycling: maintain 90–100 rpm on recovery and easy days, 1–2 hours per outing; aim for 6 hours per week during race season and 15–25 hours per week when training isn’t peaking. This doubles as both active recovery and aerobic conditioning work.

Workout Example:

• Wednesday (Speed Work): five 10-minute efforts at marathon pace (say, 3:20 /km) with 2–3 minute jog breaks between. If ultramarathon training: seven 10-minute repeats instead.
• Thursday: a full rest day; core work optional.
• Friday: an unhurried recovery run at walking pace, 20–30 minutes, with zero focus on speed.
• Saturday: 40–50 minutes of easy running at a chatty pace, followed by 8–10 × 80 m strides.
• Sunday: a 40–50 km easy-paced long run, or a 25 km outing split into segments: 5 km @ 4:00 /km, 15 km @ 3:20 /km, 5 km @ 4:00 /km.
• Monday: lower-body and core gym work (deadlifts, lunges, calf raises); skip this if you’re in the final weeks before your goal race.
• Cycling (Recovery/Easy Days): 1–2 hours on the bike at 90–100 rpm per session, building to 6 hours per week during season (or 15–25 hours per week in the off-season).

Closing Note: Test this week on your own, then adjust the paces to fit your training zones in the Pacing app. Once you settle in, you’ll notice what a difference strong speed work, thoughtful rest days, and cross-training can make. Stick with it, push toward your fitness goals, and enjoy every minute—on foot and on wheels! 🚀

References

• Inside My Weekly Training Program: Key Sessions, Cycling, and Strength Work - YouTube (YouTube Video)